Only The Strong Survive
by the victor of panem
Summary: Follow two Vault 63 misfits, as they are given a journey that takes them through the wasteland that was once known as New York. Disclaimer I don't own the Fallout series, rated T for strong language.


_**RINGGGGGGGGGGG**_

I turn off my annoying alarm clock and rush into the bathroom.

"I'm so tired!" Vault security is literally the worst job a kid could ask for. Yeah I did tell my parents and the Vault overseer I wanted more responsibility, but this isn't what I asked for. After brushing my teeth and taking a quick shower, I smack the helmet off my bed and give an ugly stare to my Vault 63 Jumpsuit. I dress and go downstairs to breakfast.

While drinking nasty apple juice, I feel a familiar smack at my neck.

"Eyy Craig? I'm thinking of quitting that lame vault security job, it's boring and it's not getting me no kind of pussy!

I take one last swig. "So what do you want to do?"

He cuts him off very quickly. "Hmm... I wanna go outside this door."

"And do what? No one tells us what's out there, and the Enclave hasn't came to our vault in like 8 years."

"Never lose hope! That's your problem, you're to damn negative." I knew he was right but like everyone in here, we're scared of the unknown. But he's stupid to think the Enclave would come back here. "Josh, you're my best friend, and I love you. But I am not going out there only to killed by some mutant."

Josh and I throw away our food and stand in the hallway. "Craig, you can be a punk and sit inside all of your life. But not me, don't you have first shift?"

"Yeah," I smirk.

"If you don't get to your post in like 45 seconds, you will be court marshaled!" he chuckles, while holding his stomach.

"Damn it." I don't even have time to get to the armory. I start to sprint full speed, knocking down several people in the process. As my sides start to burn and my thighs start to tire, I make it to the vault entrance. To my dismay, Sergeant Mcgraw is on guard duty as well. He's always on my tail, and angers me just by looking at me.

"Corporal Mitchell? You came in approximately 5 seconds to 10:01!"

"Sir? I was on time."

"No you were not!" he barks, "If you would have came at 5 seconds to 10:00, you'd be on time!"

"Sir? So what will happen to me?"

He clutches his 10 mm pistol tightly. "Nothing. You made in effort to come here, so I'm not gonna report you. But if this happens again, your ass will be court marshaled so fast!"

"Fine then!" I knock my brown hair out of my eyes, and takes a seat into my small office, as a matter of fact, it wasn't even an office. While he patrols back and forth, I watch security footage and make sure the person is authorized for entrance. If not? I simply leave it be.

I start playing random games on my pip boy. I start playing Zeta Invaders, and I die almost immediately. This is my first time playing it. After 56 tries, I lasted 30 seconds before being vaporized by Zeta spaceships. I put my feet on my desk and play for what I think was hours. On my best try yet, I'm rudely interrupted.

"Help! Please! They're coming!" The screen is in black and white, so I'm having trouble making out the face.

Sergeant Mcgraw aims his pistol towards the entrance. "Corporal Mitchell! Open the door, if he tries anything I'll pump him up with so much fucking lead!

I obey my orders and push the entrance lever. There's nothing but smoke... Then I see a young man. The man, who is no older than 25, crawls, and then stands up. His armor is damaged severely and he has a huge gash on the side of his face. I pull the lever back, closing the door. He's an Enclave trooper and I feel sorry for him.

"Corporal Mitchell! Take him to medical, I will stay on post."

"Sir yes sir!" I scream. The man leans on me while I guide him to medical.

His surgery is only two hours and he was released to recovery. When I got the news, I made my way to visit the soldier.

He lies on the hospital bed, endlessly flipping channels while he rests his arm cast on top of his waist.

I walk towards the bed and make myself known. "Hello, I'm Craig Mitchell, Corporal of Vault 63 security task force sir!" He chuckles and sits himself up.

"Hey kid. Fucking hell, I need to get to that checkpoint!"

"Excuse me sir, what do you mean?"

"You don't have to call me sir. Me and my squad were patrolling Staten Island, looking for some pre-war technology. That's when we encountered raiders- I mean hundreds of them. We were fighting all night, and though we took only 3 casualties out of our 7, we were tired and some were wounded. Our officer then called in a vertibird but we got that call telling us another Vertibird wasn't being sent out until morning. After fighting hordes of raiders. The virtibird picked us up we were riding into Pildry, when we were hit by some anti air weapon. The people that did it were in stealth boys, so we couldn't see them. That's when I ran for what seemed like hours, and my pip boy picked up two friendly vaults. 68 was too far away and 63 was close, so I ran there."

I'm blown away by all of this information. "What is Pildry? Also what do you mean by _friendly vaults?_ "

He sighs slowly. "Before the great war, the city known as Pildry was called Manhattan. See, there were 2 vaults east of here, vault 62 and vault 64. The overseer of vault 64 contacted vault 62 and 65 on coming to the surface. 65 was all for it, but vault tech's experiment consumed vault 65 and everything went to hell. This caused 62 to jump at the opportunity and the two arranged a date to reach the surface. When the date came, 5/19/2148, they settled in a city once called Manhattan and it was called new Manhattan for a while, until the original settler Ronald Pildry passed away. And friendly vault's are the vaults the enclave aid and keep safe, in exchange for drafting if things go to hell."

"Shit, that's deep! Where were you headed?"

He yawns and turns the the t.v off. "We were headed to a checkpoint north of Pildry. There we could heal, stock up on ammo, and repair our power armor. Then we were going to head to the Statue of Liberty. This place is supposed to be a fucking goldmine, Garden of Eden creation kits, unknown prewar technology, and millions of prewar dollars. I need to head out there soon before the fucking brotherhood of steel come."

"When are you leaving?"

He attempts to stand only to sit back down. "Damn it, I thought the injuries were minor. It seems I'll be resting for a while. tell your overseer to get ready. I'm gonna send two men into the wasteland and finish the mission."

"Who?" I bark. He rubs his black hair.

"You seem like you can hold yourself in a fight and I'm assuming you can shoot a gun. Is there anybody you know that could go out with you? You don't need too many men: just two will count, too many will cause suspicion.

"Should I take off my vault jumpsuit?"

"Nah kid, it will probably work in your favor. Other than raiders and hostile mutants the wasteland loves vault dwellers."

This fast? When he told me he wanted me to finish the mission, I was nervous but motivated at the same time. Josh and I could do this though. It's better than sitting in the vault all my life. I salute him. "I will not disappoint!"

Josh should be in the common area resting and that's where I'll give him the news. Slowly but surely, we'll have our dream. To get out of this vault.

When I make my way to the commons area, I stop when I see Josh and another girl.

"Babe, you're trying to do something?" He leans is for a kiss and she moves her head.

"I'm not a whore Joshua! I only met you 3 hours ago."

"Fuck Jenna, you gave it up to the overseer's son. I thought you would give it to a real one."

"In your case, you thought wrong!" She slides 3 seats down.

I didn't want to block but at the rate he's going he's not getting anything so I'll just tell him now. I walk up to where he's sitting, and he looks annoyed and distraught. "Hey Josh? You'll never guess what happened."

He stands and whispers to my ear. "Man I was about to get me some and you're ruining it."

I smirk and whisper back. "I heard you by the door. You weren't getting shit Josh."

He gives a fake smile. "So Craig, what happend?"

"When I was out on guard duty, I was getting prepared for another boring day, but this day was different, after about an hour or more of playing on my pipboy an Enclave trooper as at the door wounded, and I opened it. He was at medical and went through surgery and I was assigned to guard his bed-..."

"And what, tell me more!" He's abnormally exited.

"He wants me to go out into the wasteland to get to this building called Statue of Liberty, and I'm bringing you with me!"

He pants and paces from me to the door and back. "Told you to never lose hope on the Enclave. When do we leave man?"

"He didn't say. Let's just stock up and say our goodbyes and at the door." He smiles and sprints around the corner.

Let me say. Me going to the wasteland spread like wildfire. While I walk to the science lab to talk to my parents. I get several uneasy stares and several "I'll miss you"s and "see you in the afterlife." I actually thought I'd get more support than this. They really think Josh and I can't do this? I finally get to the science lab my mom and dad don't even know I'm in. Them working in the science lab conflicts with the time we spend, but they were able to spend time with me as a kid so I'm not bitter.

"Mom?" She takes off her safety goggles and gives me a strong hug.

"The wasteland is a cold and mean place but I'm certain you'll come back."

I smile, and whisper slowly. "I will try my best."

I stroll to the armory and equip myself with weapons that look the most deadly. It's hard putting the armor onto the vault suit at first, but I get the hang of it. I stuff a 10 mm into the holster, then I grab 3 frag grenades, and I equip a combat shotgun before heading to the vault entrance door. Josh is already there. We match with two armored vault 63 jumpsuits but instead of a combat shotgun he has an assault rifle.

Our entire vault population including the Overseer stood behind us as we stared at the large door. Under me, holding my head high, and my large smile, I was never this scared in my life. I take a glimpse at Josh and see he him eating this up, he can barely stay still. After hearing all of those folktales and legends from the surface, it has him jumping inide that he's actually going.

Seeing his confidence, I decided that was the best thing to do with my fear. I thought I could just cut it out. Maybe it wasn't gonna be as bad as we heard?

We were so wrong.


End file.
